e
rich by these means; all I say is, I have kept the only purpose I have
had the strength to form--I had almost said the power, with you at my
side, Mother--and have not tempted this man on.'

'This man! You speak,' said her mother, 'as if you hated him.'

'And you thought I loved him, did you not?' she answered, stopping on
her way across the room, and looking round. 'Shall I tell you,' she
continued, with her eyes fixed on her mother, 'who already knows us
thoroughly, and reads us right, and before whom I have even less of
self-respect or confidence than before my own inward self; being so much
degraded by his knowledge of me?'

'This is an attack, I suppose,' returned her mother coldly, 'on poor,
unfortunate what's-his-name--Mr Carker! Your want of self-respect and
confidence, my dear, in reference to that person (who is very agreeable,
it strikes me), is not likely to have much effect on your establishment.
Why do you look at me so hard? Are you ill?'

Edith suddenly let fall her face, as if it had been stung, and while
she pressed her hands upon it, a terrible tremble crept over her whole
frame. It was quickly gone; and with her usual step, she passed out of
the room.

The maid who should have been a skeleton, then reappeared, and giving
one arm to her mistress, who appeared to have taken off her manner
with her charms, and to have put on paralysis with her flannel gown,
collected the ashes of Cleopatra, and carried them away in the other,
ready for tomorrow's revivification.

CHAPTER 28. Alterations

'So the day has come at length, Susan,' said Florence to the excellent
Nipper, 'when we are going back to our quiet home!'

Susan drew in her breath with an amount of expression not easily
described, further relieving her feelings with a smart cough, answered,
'Very quiet indeed, Miss Floy, no doubt. Excessive so.'

'When I was a child,' said Florence, thoughtfully, and after musing for
some moments, 'did you ever see that gentleman who has taken the trouble
to ride down here to speak to me, now three times--three times, I think,
Susan?'

'Three times, Miss,' returned the Nipper. 'Once when you was out a
walking with them Sket--'

Florence gently looked at her, and Miss Nipper checked herself.

'With Sir Barnet and his lady, I mean to say, Miss, and the young
gentleman. And two evenings since then.'

'When I was a child, and when company used to come to visit Papa, did
you ever see that gentlema